No One Killed Jessica

Some movies should be watched to find the answer of the question why they are being made. No One Killed Jessica is special because it's a real story. What is commendable is that it is presented with stellar performances, heart wrenching scenes and the honest portrayal of us as a society. Rajkumar Gupta (Aamir fame) clubs real incidents with the main story effortlessly. First half an hour of the movie is like a cracker that keeps you glued to the screen for the entire run of the movie. Rajkumar Gupta hits the master stroke by casting two hugely talented ladies as lead actors. Vidya Balan makes you cry and unsettle and Rani Mukerjee gives you winning satisfaction. Lady playing Jessica is lovable and gets the much required sympathy. Rajesh Sharma plays the role of corrupt but supportive inspector superbly. Overall, the movie works because it hits where it hurts.

Okey, I really admire Vidya's acting performence.

The best we would want from the movies based on real-life mysterious cases involving killing is that they thrill, but present the facts with depth and conviction. 'No one killed Jessica' is actually far from that. Not only are the twists and turns particularly forced, it gives the criminals a dazzle, which makes the film lack consistency and understanding. Jessica Lal was working as a barmaid in an unlicensed bar. In the midst of a party, she refused the offers for serving by Manu Sharma, a rich and affluent politician's son. She was shot twice in the head, and killed. The case which was made spanned six long years for reaching a verdict, and the case is clearly described as one of the most shocking trials ever made in the history of Indian judiciary (the murder happened in 1999, the verdict reached on 2006). The film stays faithful to the series of events, just that it focuses in these two women- Sabrina, Jessica's elder sister and Mira, a swearing news reporter. The film is the case through their observations. While Sabrina's observation is intimately drawn out, it loses its focus by the onset of the second half. Mira's gaze is longer, a heft concoction of facts and fiction. But you wish the film rotted to Sabrina, and her intimate relationship with her sister. It is simple, yes, but emotional and stimulated. And that's because Vidya Balan has once again mesmerized us with her effective performance. She is modest, and nice. Rani Mukherjee is a total letdown as Mira. Her swearing news reporter, who could have easily been established as a firebrand, is blazing for nothing, and a clumsily written character. It will easily go down in history as the actress's worst performance in her career. Not all of the film is a drag though. Despite the simplistic storytelling, Rajkumar Gupta effectively captures the times of Lal and the era: Mira is seen covering the Kargil war and Indian armymen's triumph, which is amazing since we know the war ended the same year. What the film needed was a stay-far-away from simplicity. I'm going with 2.5 out of 5. It is watchable, but unfortunately, not more than that.